The Renault Duster range get a LCV
We have spoken before of the Renault Duster’s ability to carry a full-sized double base flat. If you have never had to transport such an instrument, this may not mean much to you, so let me explain. You can, with sufficient Tetris skills, load a base into a small hatch like a Getz, but it will sit tight in the right back corner right up to the front left against the windscreen, and you will only have two seats to use. The Duster can take the base, a cello and a tuba, with seats for the three musicians and the driver. Important that.
So it is no wonder that Renault has created the Duster Commercial in the UK. If you start with a spacious SUV like the Duster and remove everything behind the front seats, you get a massive load space of 1623-litres that can carry nearly half a ton. In the back, the Commercial has a fitted wooden floor, load compartment cover, rubber mats and opaque windows. So you have a high, long, wide cargo space at the back, a very practical LCV.
What makes the Renault Duster Commercial special, though, is what they did not take out. While the back is this very useful cavern, the front is still the rather luxurious Duster we know and love. You still have your 7-inch touchscreen infotainment Apple/Android screen, rear-facing camera, cruise control, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, multifunction steering wheel, electric windows and so on. It also retains the alloy wheel, fog lamps and roof rails.
The Renault Duster Commercial also comes with AWD and the full choice of engines available in the UK, ranging from a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol to 1.5-litre turbo diesel. This is such a clever vehicle, ideal for the business person who has to take his business to his clients and wants to do so in comfort. And if his clients live off the beaten track, the AWD and the Duster’s known ability to handle rough roads will make this a doddle.
There has been no formal announcement of adding the Commercial to the South African range of Renault Dusters, but given the popularity of this SUV here and the innate practicality of the Commercial configuration, we would not be surprised to see it on our showroom floors in the near future.
